Fast Marina Magazine

A Marina I maintain for a friend has had symptoms for some years of a clutchplate that was wearing out.
As she only drives it to Uni it seemed unnecessary to replace it while still functional - although the clutch would only engage at full pedal release.

A week ago I got a call from her saying the car had lost its clutch - having initially had the pedal go very solid at quarter travel - then when she tried harder - no pedal at all.
I drove to it and found the clutch fluid pipe had popped one end off, and thus lost all its fluid.
I was able to force the pipe back together, bleed it, and then found the same symptoms - totally solid pedal at quarter travel.
I had to get the car home - so I warmed then engine up for a while - stopped it - selected first gear and hit the starter.
After a few lurches the engine started and we were off.
I had to immediately flick it out of gear then repeat the process in reverse - as I needed to turn around.
Once moving in first again, I found if I flicked it into neutral, then held pressure on the gearlever, it would slip into second without a murmur.
I drove it clear across the city in this fashion.
When approaching intersections I would coast up in neutral, wait until I could move off, stop engine then start in first.
I must have looked like a right loser as I lurched away until the motor caught...

Dropped engine and box yesterday - split them and found this...





Anyone ever seen such a thing.?
I fitted a spare lever and a better throwout bearing, new clutchplate, put it all together and threw it in the car.
At close of play last night I had it all bolted up but still bits to bolt on in the engine bay.

Hopefully finish it today time permitting.
Should notice a slight improvement I think....

I for one have never seen the pivot point wear through like that. Well done for getting it back on the road.



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Had it on a MK1 1300 once. Burst the clutch pipe before finding arm in the 'wrong' place. Car got the 100 yards home. Happened in the mid 1980s hence no pictures. Lunch time- three working on the car and box out, clutch and thrust replaced with new, arm and pipe from substantial second hand stock held at the time- box back in by the end of the afternoon. Most difficult bit was lifting the box back onto the car as the whole job was none on the floor with stands. Every time the MK2 box and engine was split after that the arm was subject to very close scrutiny.
Happy days.

I have a profound dislike of working beneath cars.
Especially since during our 2011 earthquakes a number of them fell on people...
I have an engine crane thing - so I undo everything necessary then lower the complete engine/transmission onto a piece of wood with two small tubes under it as rollers.
I then move the crane forward and raise the car, and the engine rolls forward into the cavity between the crane legs.
I can then work on either engine or gearbox out in the open which makes life much easier.
It also avoids the risk of bending stuff when trying to align the gearbox input shaft from beneath the car...





This car is back in action today and everything is working great.
I discovered some issues with the carb and fixed those too - so it is running better than ever for the grateful (and extremely beautiful..) young lady owner.

Woof.!

ive got loads of clutch forks with broken springs can these be reconditioned or are they for the scap bin
ive took engines in and out of marina's and itals by sitting the front of the car with its wheels on on some scrap rims and the removing antil roll bar and dropping engne+box out this way it then can be slid out the front or again putting it in this way by sliding it in and slowing jacking it up in the engine bay with supports
carb and dizzy cap always removed as it always gets in the way
best regards
barry